Winter Nature Table and my Foraged Wreath

I remember I last blogged about my “nature table” back in September when the world was golden and mellow, when there were horse chestnuts and even a geranium to display.  It’s all a bit different today though as winter has well and truly arrived here on the Mendips, with the temperatures barely above freezing even in the daytime.  So now my shelf features a few late rosehips, saved from my wreath making project, a lovely winter/Christmassy image taken from a card a friend sent me a little while ago, and my Carol Singing Mice perched on their little vintage cotton reels.

Then, to the right of the clock is my Advent Calendar, a long ago purchase from Etsy I think, but brought out every year, my pleasure in the illustrations never fading.  My Sleepy Owl remains, but now the floral posy has been replaced by a sprig of holly in a lovely vase Rosie gave me last Christmas.  You may laugh at the lack of berries on my holly – in fact there was a grand total of four.  These are all that remained after a flock of redwings visited and stripped the tree.  Still, I’d rather have birds than holly berries!

Luckily the birds don’t seem to like rosehips and yesterday I went out to forage a lovely scarlet spray of hips that I’ve had my eye on for quite some time!  Then I pulled some ivy off one of our trees, added an old embroidery hoop that doesn’t screw up any more and got to work on making my Christmas wreath….

Working with the shape and curve of my cuttings I wrapped them around the embroidery hoop, tying them securely as I went (wild rosehips are VERY thorny!).  I carried on until my wreath looked nice and full, then used my trusty glue gun to secure a few stray rosehips in place.  Then – I had a brainwave! Can you see the blackbird on the end of my shelf?  She was purchased from another lovely Etsy seller, Etchable Laser Design who very kindly sent her to me as a replacement for my original bird who arrived damaged – her legs broken off. I didn’t throw away the poor bird with no legs though, I kept her, and now am very glad I did as, glued firmly in place, I feel she adds the perfect finishing touch to my wreath….

And so my front door is beginning to look very Christmassy.

At least I think so!  And this weekend we’re off to our very local (we can see it from our windows) Christmas tree farm to choose the perfect specimen, I can hardly wait!